What We Know About Naval Yard Shooting Suspect Aaron Alexis (Updated)

Alexis was a Buddhist who often went to temple to meditate. A lay worker at the Buddhist temple he attended described him as” very aggressive, someone who seemed as though he might one day kill himself”.

In 2004 , Alexis used his firearm to blow out the tires of a construction worker’s vehicle in front of his Seattle, Washington home because the worker “mocked him.”

Police recovered a Glock handgun that Alexis stored in his bedroom in a residence owned by his grandmother. After waiving his Miranda rights, Alexis told investigators that he believed the victim had “disrespected him” and that perception resulted in a “‘black out’ fueled by anger.” Alexis added that he did not remember pulling the trigger until 30 minutes after the shooting.Alexis, a New York City native, told police that he “was present during the tragic events of September 11th, 2001 and how those events had disturbed him.”In a subsequent interview with Alexis’s father, the man told cops that his son had experienced “anger management problems” that family members “believed associated with PTSD.” Alexis’s father “confirmed that his son was an active participant in rescue attempts of September 11th, 2001.”Alexis, who had a Washington State concealed pistol license, was charged with illegal discharge of a firearm and property damage. The disposition of those counts remains unclear.

Alexis was arrested for disorderly conduct in August 2008 in DeKalb County, Georgia, no details or police report could be obtained.

Alexis served as a full time reservist and was assigned to a logistics support unit based in Fort Worth, TX. He served in the Navy from May 2007 until his January 2011 discharge for misconduct. Alexis received two routine medals for his service in the Navy: the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal for service during a national emergency. He reportedly left the Navy because “he didn’t like to get up early and had complained about getting underpaid.”

In September 2010 police were dispatched to a Fort Worth apartment complex when Alexis fired a shot through the floor into the ceiling of a woman’s apartment. The report said the following: “She then saw that there was a hole in her floor just a couple of feet from where she was sitting while shredding papers and a hole in the ceiling,” The woman complained that Alexis did not come check on her after the shot was fired and told police Alexis had called police on her several times for “being loud”.
The report also states : “She said that several days ago Aaron confronted her in the parking lot about making too much noise.” The woman told police that she was “terrified” of Alexis and felt the shooting was done intentionally. Alexis was never formally charged in the case and a few weeks later was evicted from his apartment.

Last year, a friend of Alexis said he became sour and he often complained of a lack of money and available jobs. Alexis also complained that his current job had not paid him in weeks.

In early-July, a male roommate of Alexis’s called Fort Worth police to report his suspicion that Alexis “put unknown substance in gas tank to damage vehicle.”

Aaron Alexis was currently working for an HP subcontractor called “The Experts,” refreshing equipment on the Navy Marine Corps network. His current job gave him security clearance to the Naval base. A few days before the killing rampage at the D.C. naval yard, Alexis purchased some of the guns used in the assault in Virginia.